President Donald Trump sued YouTube after the platform suspended his account following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. He claimed YouTube, along with other social media companies, had unfairly censored conservative voices and unlawfully suppressed his account. YouTube had suspended his channel due to concerns that his content could incite further violence. This lawsuit was part of a broader legal action Trump initiated against YouTube's parent company Alphabet, Meta (Facebook), and X (formerly Twitter) regarding their suspension of his accounts after the riot. YouTube agreed to settle the lawsuit for $24.5 million in September 2025. Of this amount, $22 million is designated by Trump to fund the construction of a new ballroom at the White House through a nonprofit called the Trust for the National Mall. The remainder of the settlement, about $2.5 million, will go to other plaintiffs involved, including the American Conservative Union. This settlement follows similar agreements earlier in the year with Meta for $25 million and X for approximately $10 million. Trump's YouTube channel was reinstated in March 2023, allowing him to upload new content again.
